This afternoon (Thursday, Nov.15) there were lots of waterbirds at Lake
Tansi and nearby Lake Hiawatha in Cumberland County south of Crossville
(Lake Tansi list: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S49959050; Lake Hiawatha
list: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S49957984). Best birds were nine
Black Scoters (a county first for me) and a female Greater Scaup, along with
an estimated 80 Common Loons and a gull flock. Viewing conditions at Tansi
toward dusk were difficult due to mist (28 degree air over warmer water),
strong wind, and choppy waters, and lots of birds were out of identification
and visualization range, but there was lots of activity as birds were coming
in to roost and to shift around on the lake. This high activity corresponds
with what others in Tennessee and North Carolina are reporting with this
cold front.
Ed LeGrand
Cumberland County, TN
